Mariano Rivera’s Negotiations Are Going Much Smoother Than a Certain Other Yankee’s

Another reason to appreciate Mariano Rivera, via ESPN New York: "Rivera has purposely tried to keep negotiations as quiet as possible. He and his agent, Fern Cuza, believe that is the best way to get a deal done." Granted, the gap here is much smaller than the one between the Yankees and Derek Jeter — Andrew Marchand reports that Rivera's likely to get a slight raise over the $15 million he made last season, though the length of that deal needs to be ironed out — and Rivera is coming off yet another stellar season, even though he turns 41 today. But still: The concept of trying to keep negotiations quiet — as opposed to letting it devolve to the point that one side is suggesting the other "drink the reality potion" — is refreshing, isn't it? [ESPN New York]